If one of the imams narrates a hadith using the formula of weakening, is he considered among those who weaken the hadith?

The questioner : Beyond that, my Shaykh, regarding the attribution of statements, for example, when I read from one of the imams who narrated the hadith with weakening via the formula of weakening, saying for instance "it is narrated," is it possible for me to count him among those who weaken the hadith?

The Shaykh : No, but you cannot count him among those who authenticate it.

The questioner : Likewise, due to inconsistency, because they are inconsistent, as his practice is inconsistent in this regard, we consider neither this nor that.

The Shaykh : No, rather, in that case, the matter reverts to weakening.

The questioner : But if I looked at the chain of narration and there was a list of those who authenticated it and those who weakened it, I would pause, for example, in mentioning this hadith until, for instance, al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi mentioned it using the formula of weakening. Am I allowed to include it and add it to the list of those who weakened it because he used the formula of weakening? This is the benefit, in my view, of the question.

The Shaykh : I think the answer to this is known from what preceded, that we know about him that he adheres to this terminology, in that case.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : But my intention regarding the earlier statement was concerning the early scholars about whom we do not know such terminology.

The questioner : We do not count them as weakeners or authenticators by this; neither authenticators nor explainers of defects.

The Shaykh : Yes, it is so, but I wanted to say that the practical result reverts to the terminology.

The questioner : It reverts to the terminology.

The Shaykh : Yes, it reverts to the terminology. Completely, if we see a scholar or a hafiz from those whose names we mentioned earlier.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : He says regarding a certain hadith, "it is narrated." Our position regarding this hadith, initially, is that it is weak. If we see a hafiz from these huffaz who adhere to this terminology say regarding a certain hadith, "it is narrated," we take from this a weakening.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : But we are not obligated to continue with it if we find for this hadith a chain of narration that contradicts the weakening, either that it is good at least by other means, or as is not hidden from you.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Now, let us leave this aside.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And we move on to the early scholars about whom we do not know such terminology. He says regarding a certain hadith, "it is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said so and so." If we are unable to understand from it that it is authentic, then by necessity, we consider it weak.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : It is clear.

The questioner : Yes, because.

The Shaykh : In that case, the answer to your statement has already been given: if we look at the chain of narration to its end, the matter does not differ between this and that in the result, meaning in the fruit. But what is the difference? The difference is that these later scholars explicitly stated, and I mean those who adhered to it, that if they say "it is narrated," it is an indication of weakening. Those earlier ones did not do their practice and did not do this, but their expression "it is narrated" from the Arabic perspective supports the terminology in reality.